Filament storing and tensioning device



Oct. 11, 1960 R. o. LETSCH 2,955,774

' FILAMENT STORING AND TENSIONING DEVICE Filed Jan. 26, 1959 United States Patent F FILAMENT STORING AND TENSIONING DEVICE Raymond O. Letsch, 329 Mulberry Ave., Waterloo, Iowa Filed Jan. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 789,042

3 Claims. (Cl. 242-1293) The present invention relates to tensioning means for filaments, such as string, yarn, thread, wire and the like, and particularly, to an improved combination filament storing and tensioning device.

In drawing a filament from a source of supply, it is frequently desirable to apply back-tension to the filament to insure proper application of the filament and to mitigate over-supply of the same from the source and tangling of the filament between the source and the point of application. The degree of tension to be applied to the filament will, of course, vary from application to application, and from time to time in each application.

One object of the present invention is to provide improved tensioning means for filaments that is adjustable to apply to the filament a back-tension anywhere within the range of from substantially zero to the breaking strength of the filament.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in combination, a storage chamber for the filament and the tensioning means above described.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of an improved tensioning device for simultaneously applying back-tension to a plurality of filaments.

A further and more specific object of the invention is the provision of an improved tensioning device comprising a pair of members relatively adjustable along a given axis, each of said members having a filament receiving aperture therein the axis of which generally parallels said given axis, the aperture in one member being eccentric to the aperture in the other member for causing a portion of a filament threaded through said apertures to be ofiset between the two members, the two members being movable toward one another for fixedly clamping the said portion of the filament therebetween and being movable away from one another for progressively relieving the clamping force of said members on the filament.

i A still further object of the invention is the provision of an improved tensioning device as above defined wherein at least one member has a plurality of apertures therein which are spaced from one another and are all eccentric to the aperture in the other member, whereby the device may simultaneously apply back-tension to each of a plurality of filaments.

'An additional object of the invention is to provide, in a preferred'embodiment, a combined filament storing and tensioning devige comprising a container for fila'men't,'said filament container having an end wall and a screw threaded portion circumscribiug said wall, and a screw threaded cap adjustably mounted on said portion of said container and having'an end wall opposed to the end wall of said container, one of said end walls having a filament receiving aperture therein axially of said screw threaded portion, and the other of said end walls having at least one filament receiving aperture eccentric to said screw threaded portion, whereby a filament passing from said container through said apertures is laterally offset in the space between said walls and said cap is adjustable on said con- 2,955,774 Patented Oct. 11, 1960 tainer for clamping the filament between said end walls and for imposing on the filament varying degrees of backtension.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following detailed description.

Now, in order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the manner of making and using the improved filament storing and tensioning means of my invention, I shall describe, in connection with the accompanying drawing, preferred embodiments of my invention and preferred manners of making and using the same.

In the drawing, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of a device for storing and applying back-tension to a single filament;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of the tensioning means embodied in the device of Figure l, the view showing the cap of the device adjusted to apply a relatively slight back-tension to the filament;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section similar to Figure 2, but showing the cap adjusted to fixedly clamp the filament to the device; and v Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section similar to Figures 3 and 4 illustrating one embodiment of a device for storing and applying back-tension 'to a plurality of filaments.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to Figures 1 to 3, I have shown a preferred embodiment of my device as comprising a hollow cylindrical container 10 defining a filament storage chamber therein and including at one end a reduced cylindrical extension 12. The extension 12 defines a relatively thick end wall at the one end of the container, and is provided on its peripheral surface with a screw thread. This thread may be of any standard form and lead, and may be either a fast thread or a slow thread as desired for a particular application.

A cap member 22 is mounted on the stem 12 for adjustment axially thereof by means of a screw thread that is complemental to and meshes with the thread on the extension 12. The cap 22 is preferably formed to include a relatively thick end wall portion, and the end wall of the cap and the end wall of the container, as defined by the extension 12, are provided with apertures 24 and 14, re-

spectively, which are laterally offset from and eccentric relative to one another. The axes of the two apertures are preferably parallel to one another and the axis of the container 10 and cap 22, and I prefer to dispose one of the apertures with its axis coincident with the axis of rotation of the cap. In the preferred embodiment of the device illustrated herein, I form the aperture 24 axially in the cap 22, and locate the aperture 14 eccentric thereto.

By virtue of the relative eccentricity of the two apertures, a filament 26 stored within the container 10 and threaded through the two apertures, will have a portion thereof laterally offset in the space between the end walls defined -bythe extension 12 and the cap 22. Upon threading of the cap 22 tightly onto the extension 12, this portion of the filament will become fixedly clamped between the two end walls, as is illustrated in Figure 3. By unthreading the cap 22, the filament is permitted progressively greater freedom of movement in its passage from the aperture 14 to the aperture 24, thereby progres sively to relieve the back-tension applied to the filament. By way of example, I have illustrated in Figure 2 the cap 22 unthreaded by about half the length of its thread, in which condition a relatively slight degree of backtension is applied to the filament as it is withdrawn from the aperture 24. By simple screw threaded adjustment of the cap 22, substantially any desired degree of back-tenof the filament.

' e filament is preferably associated with the device by first removing the cap '22 from the device, threading the filament 26 through the aperture 14 from the interior of the chamber definedb-y the container 10, then depositing the supply of filament, such as a ball, spool, coil or skein thereof, into the chamber, subsequently threading the filament through 'the'a'per'ture24, and finally re-applying the cap 22'to the extension 121 As 'will be apparent,

the size of the container relative to the size of the exten 7 sion 12 and cap 22' is of no particular significance, the container being of such size as is desired for convement reception therein of the supply' reel or ball of the filament to which back-tension is. to be applied.

v To complete the device, I prefer to provide a'screw threaded closure 16 fortheend of the container opposite the cap 22, i.e.,'the open end of the container,

To facilitate convenient disposition of the combined storing and tensioning d'evice','for example to accommodate hanging of the sameon a supporting hook or the like,

I prefer 'to provide the end closure 16 with abail 18 that is pivotally mounted on the closure by means of astrap 20. Fromthe foregoing, it is apparent that the present invention provides a particularly economical and compact device for storing filaments and for applying back-tension to the filament according to the demands of theparticular application. Adjustment of the device to vary the back tension applied to the filament-is very conveniently and" accurated effected. a V

"In addition, the device' of the present'invention is readily adapted to handle a pluralityrof filaments by the simple expe'dient of providing additional apertures in the end axisof which generally parallels said given axis, the'aperturein onemember being generally coincident w1th said 7 given axis andthe, aperture in the other member being eccentric to said axis for causing a portion of a filament threaded through said apertures to be offset between the two members, the two member being threadably movable toward one another for fixedly clamping thesaid portion of the filament between the opposedw'alls thereof and wall of at least one of the caps 22 and container 10, which additional apertures are spaced from the other aperture or apertures in'the respective wall and are ec'centric'to or laterally offset from the aperture, or arespective aperture, inthe othe'r end wall. In a preferred embodiment of a device for handling, for example, two filaments, .I prefer to provide a pair of apertures or passageways 14a 14b inf the end wall defined by the extension 12 which aper- 'tures or-pas'sage'ways are spaced from one-another and are both eccentric to the axis of the aperture. 24 and the cap.

'22, as isi'shown'in -Figure 4. With this structure, 'a first filament may be threadedithrough the passageways, 14a and 24 and a second'fil ame nt maybe threaded through the passageways 14b and 24, whereby the two filaments,

may simultaneously be drawn from the container through a common outlet, the device of the invention applying substantially'equal back-tension to bothof the filaments. Modifications ofjthis arrangement are, of course, to be expected from those skilled in the art.

While I'have shown and described what-I regard to i be the preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be' apparent that various changes, rearrangements and i being threadably movable. away from one another for progressively relieving the clamping force of said members on the filament and for imposing a predetermined back-tension on the filament. v V

2. A combined filament storing and' tensioning device comprising a container for fi1ament,-said filament container'having an end wall, .a cap having an end wall opposed to the end wall of said container, and means adjustably mounting'said cap on said container for accommodating movement of'said end'walls' toward and away from one another, each of said end walls having a filament receiving passageway the'rethrough, the passageway in onemember being eccentric to the passageway in the through said passagewaysto beoifset between the two end walls, said cap being adjustably movable on said container toward the end wall thereof for fixedly clamping the said portion of the filament between said end walls and being adjustably movableon said container away from the endwall thereof for progressively relieving the clamping force on the filament and for imposing on the filament a predetermined degree 'of back-tension.

; '3. A combined filament's toring andtensioning'device comprising acontainer 'for filament, said filament con-.

tainer having an end wall and a screw threaded'portion circumscribing saidwall and a screw threaded cap ad justablymountedon said portion of said'container and having an end'wall opposed to the endwall of said container, one of said end walls. having a filament receiving aperture therein axially; of said screw threaded portion, the other of said end walls having at least one filament receiving aperture therein eccentric to said screw threaded portion, whereby a filament passing from said container through saidjapertures is. laterally offset in the space between said walls and-said cap is adjustable on said 'container for clamping, the filament between said end walls and for imposing on the filament varying degrees of backtension. 7

7 References Cited in, thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 357,581 Cooley; ;Q Fb.'is,1887 385,937 Lee 'July 10, 1888 1,858,134 Booth et al. May 10, 1932 

